Poinsettias are the undisputed stars of the holiday season. You see them everywhere—from garden centers to grocery stores—lighting up our homes with those iconic red bracts. But let’s be real: by late December or early January, that festive glow usually starts to fade.
When the bloom is off the Poinsettia
Just like any other flower, poinsettias eventually finish their blooming cycle. By February at the latest, those colorful leaves have usually dropped, leaving you with a plain green plant that looks like any other houseplant. Most people just toss them in the trash at this point. That’s such a waste! With a little TLC, you can help your poinsettia “summer over” and get it back to its former glory just in time for next Christmas.
Getting ready for the summer break
Once your poinsettia has dropped its colored bracts, it’s time for a little haircut.
- Put on some gardening gloves first—the milky sap that leaks out is actually toxic and can irritate your skin.
- Grab a sharp knife or a pair of pruning shears and make sure to disinfect the blades.
- Cut the main shoots back to a length of about 8 inches.
- Go ahead and remove any soft stems or branches that are growing inward or crisscrossing.
Next up, your poinsettia needs a fresh start with a new pot and some clean soil.
- Carefully lift the plant out of its old pot.
- Rinse away the old soil under running water.
- Give the root ball a good once-over.
- Snip off any roots that look dried out or feel mushy.
- Grab a new pot and add a layer of expanded clay pebbles at the bottom for drainage.
- Add some fresh potting mix and settle your plant back in.
- Lightly press the soil down and give it a moderate watering.
Moving your Poinsettia outdoors
Once you’ve prepped your plant and the threat of night frost has passed, your poinsettia can move onto the balcony or patio. Find a spot that is bright, warm, and—most importantly—protected from drafts. Poinsettias are a bit finicky; they don’t like direct midday sun, and they definitely don’t like getting drenched by heavy rain. Make sure they have a little shelter if the weather gets rough.
How to get those red leaves back
When the temperatures start dipping into the low 50s, it’s time to bring your plant back inside. Now, here’s the secret trick: poinsettias only develop those red bracts if they follow a strict light schedule for about eight weeks. They need 12 hours of light followed by 12 hours of *total* darkness (think a pitch-black room or covering it with a cardboard box). As soon as you see those leaves starting to change color, you can increase the watering slightly and move it to a warmer room.
